Overview
Based on the fascinating real life connection between the modern day scientist Dr. Anne Adams and world famous composer Maurice Ravel, UnRavelled is an essential new play about love, art, science and who we are on the most profound level.
Experience a Special Performance of UnRavelled Live!
To enjoy a recorded live performance of UnRavelled at the Caroline H. Hume Concert Hall, please fill out this form.
EXTRAORDINARY. The cast is superb, the script important, and, for this critic, the most satisfying piece of theatre he has seen in very nearly a year. Impeccably produced and performed.”
Project Details
Incorporating research and interviews conducted by Jake Broder as a Hellman Visiting Artist at UCSF’s Memory and Aging Center, UnRavelled explores the fascinating connection between the work of Canadian painter Anne Adams (1940–2007) and French composer Maurice Ravel (1875–1937), both of whom lived with the same rare brain disease.
According to GBHI co-director Dr. Bruce Miller, “Ravel and Dr. Adams were in the early stages of primary progressive aphasia, a form of frontotemporal dementia, when they were working. The disease apparently altered circuits in their brains, changing the connections between the front and back parts and resulting in a torrent of creativity.”
View the playbill (with cast bios and production notes)
Contact
To learn more about UnRavelled and ways to support, please contact unravelled@gbhi.org.
Related Press
A California judge got a devastating brain diagnosis. But it unlocked an extraordinary skill, San Francisco Chronicle, March 9, 2025
She had no artistic talent — until dementia changed her brain, The Times, March 12, 2025
Awards
Beverly Hills Theatre Guild Playwriting Award (Jake Broder) — Beverly Hills Theatre Guild
Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award for Streaming Design (Corwin Evans and Bree Pavey) — Broadway World
TWI-NY Pandemic Award for Best Scientific Play (Jake Broder) — This Week in New York
Critical Acclaim!
“EXTRAORDINARY. The cast is superb, the script important, and, for this critic, the most satisfying piece of theatre he has seen in very nearly a year. Impeccably produced and performed.” — Theatre Notes
“REMARKABLE… erudite, emotional and often genuinely funny… easily one of the best and most thought-provoking plays of the past year.” — Arts Beat L.A.
“IMPORTANT AND MOVING… superb performances… touches the heart and mind… A production not to be missed.” — Broadway to Vegas
“EXCELLENT… POIGNANT… helm[ed] with compassion and respect… a production not to be missed.” — Splash Magazines
“A DARING AND DYNAMIC VISUAL DELIGHT… thoroughly engrossing – both intellectually and emotionally… an invigorating piece.” — Stage and Cinema
“BRILLIANTLY PORTRAYED… I found myself totally pulled into the characters and their stories.” — Culver City News
“THE MYSTERIES OF CREATIVITY… explores two case studies in brain science that echo uncannily across time… [strong] writing and performances.” — Los Angeles Times
Experience a Special Performance of UnRavelled Live!
To enjoy a recorded live performance of UnRavelled at the Caroline H. Hume Concert Hall, please fill out this form.
